Thailand’s economy relies on exports and to a lesser extent tourism. With the arrival of large shipments of vaccines, business leaders hope the economy finally has a salve.
Rollout of the state’s mass vaccination scheme has been slow and the government’s vaccine procurement strategy — relying on local production instead of making early deals with countries already capable of producing vaccines — has been widely lampooned.
The longer it takes to achieve herd immunity (estimated at 70% of the population vaccinated), the more time and business hotels and restaurants will lose as customers stay away.
Tourism operators have shuttered their businesses and factories laid…
